Cottou extracting and cleaning machine



J. E. MITCHELL.

COTTON EXTRACTING AND CLEANING MACH! APPLICATION FILED AUG 26, 1920. t

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

UNITED STATES JOHN E. MITCHELL,

common EXTRACTING PATENT OFFICE. 1

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ND CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. latglltjgd ling. 22, 1922.

Application filed August 26, 1920. Serial No. 40 ,117.

and cotton separating machine of the type ill'iistinted in various patents ncreto-il ore granted to myself or to Dennis Perks or to myself and the said ierksjointly. Such prior machines have been characterized by the use of at single sew cylinder es the nniin element in sepziratiiny; the cotton from the broken bolls, hulls and trash. it is :1 gen- Ol'itl object of the present invention to pro d one a nnichine of the type referred to which shall have pinctically double the capacity thereof.

Stated more in detail, it is in object of the present invention to provide, within the limited space or neight where such niechii'ies have to he installed, a n'niichin'e having; two sew cylinders, each of which hes the cnpn city of the single sew cylinder of the prior ninchines referred to so that the the sow cylin ders will have zipproximntely i'lonhlc se nireting capacity of the single sew cylinder nnichine.

fijlrther object is to mount the two sew cylinders in such it way in relation to cei-h other, and in relation to the necessary kicker roller operating in connection with each slaw cylinder. as that the cotton may be hrirhctl, from the two rotating sew cylinders by at single doiter brush, which hitter causes; tin, cotton separated by :h ofthc two sew cylinders to be combined and delivered from the machine to the gin through it single discharge opening. This arrangement makes possible the constriiiction and operation of it machine carrying two saw cylinder and their cooperating kicker rollers within the evliileliile space for installing such machine-a between the grin and the cotton distrilnitor.

A, still further object is to prmxidc Hi1 lire proved discln rge for the hulls past the lower sew cylinder whereby the difference in charter between the hulls and the cotton is taken advent/ape of in such a manner that the cotton will be caused to be brought into cents t with, and :nlhere to the teeth of the sews, while the hulls will be sepnrnted from the cotton. This latter object is attained, essentially by the use of a roller carryinig an extended rib or bumper, which, in the i=otation of the roller will act, by impact. to knock the hulls upward and away from the cotton, while the cotton particles themselves, being softer and lighter willbe thrown or carried by the bumper into engagement with the teeth of the lower sew cylinder.

is he LllaWHlg 1s a, vertical section through it niechinc showing a preferred embodiment of the invention. 7

Referring now to the drmving, the nunierals 1 indicate two feed rollers which operate to pass the mixed cot-ton andbolls to the boil breaking cyliniiier having pivoted lingers 23 and revolving in a casing 4:, one side which carries it screen 5 of wire mesh through which dirt and small particles of hnlisinziy pass. T he casing 1- has an outlet 6 located opposite to the screen the size of which is determined by a picker roll 6 operwing in proximity to one edge of an angle- )m i I ti (3, as shown, and which roll carries pins or picker-s7 end rotates in {L clockwise direction. This picker roll operates to withdrew the cotton and the broken bolls {\S the hitter are reduced by the breaking cylinder, :n l to deliver the mixed product to the cotton separating Inechenisnn This mechanism will now be described.

Dvlounted to rotate within the main casing of the machine 111'6 two sew cylinders, 8 find 9, the letter of which is located below the former and to one sidethereof. The sews of each cylinder operate wholly in the cleer, "hot is to say, they do not rotate between grate bars, as in an ordinary cotton pin, and there is no device of any kind which passes between the blades of the sons, or which lies in functional juxtaposition to the cottonengiiging side thereof. I thus serve in this machine this feature which is e, 3imrecteristic of all of my previous patented machines. The cotton and hull particles are directed by the picker roll toward the. 11pper sew cylinder 8 and to facilitate this operation I provide an inclined hull bol rd i l which projects town-rd the adjacent side of the sow cylinder 8 in such a wiry as to leave an opening 11 between its lower end and the side of the sew cylinder. Co-oper- 'no' with the saw cylinder 8 and located above the same is e kicker roll 12, the binder, "i3 of which rotate in proximity to the up between the two saw cylinders.

inclined position and covers the side per side of the saw cylinder 8 in a direction, as shown by the arrow, to knock back boll pieces, or hulls, and other solid particles, toward the opening 11. The numeral 14: indicates a similar kicker roll which is located to co-operate in a similar manner with the lower saw cylinder 9 and is located These saw cylinders are driven in the same direction and are provided with the usual teeth projecting in the direction in which the saws rotate.v It the amount of the miXed cotton and hulls delivered to the first saw cylinder is in excess ofthe capacity of this cylinder, the residue will pass downwardly through the opening 11 to be operated upon by the saw cylinder 9. In order to direct the same'toward this latter saw cylinder and to exclude it from further contact with the kicker roll 14 I provide a guard in the 'iOl'IIl of a cant board l6'which is disposed in an o the s: be

kicker roll 14 which would other-u exposed to the product passing to the lower saw cylinder. The kicker rolls, as shown rotate in the same direction as the saw cylinders so that the working side cl? each roll rotates in. the opposite direction to the adjacentside of the saw cylinder, thereby operating to kick oil pieceso'l boll which may be adhering to the cotton carried the saws.

The numeral 17 indicates a rotary doiler provided with a plurality o'l radial ln'ushes 18. This dotlier is located between the two saw cylinders S and 9, at an equal distance from each, and is so positioned that it functions simultaneously with both, saw cylinders. The doiier rotates in an opposite direction to said saw cylinders so that the brushes move inthe same direction with thesaw teeth with which they co-operate, but at a higher speed, so as to enable the brushes to remove the cotton from the saw cylinders and (llSCl'lRItZ'G the same through the cotton discharge opening 19.

The numeral 20 indicates a hull. board,

which extends in an inclined direction tov ward the side of the'saw cylinder 9 op isite to the dotler 17, and this hull board ably includes an adjustable GKlLQDS'lOYl. 21 which may be extended to any desired point in order that its lower edge may define the of an opening 22 past the saw cyl nder 9. Just below this opening: I provide a hull. roller 23 whichrotates in the same direction the saw cylinder 9, and is provided ll one side with aribor bumper 24c eKtendi from end to end of. the roller, and the h tion or which will be presently described The surface of the hull roller 23 is smooth, except for the provision of the bumper The extension 21 of the lower hull board can be adjusted in any suitable manner, "l ar example, by means of racks 25 disposed near each side of the machine and engaged by a pinion 26. These pinions may becarried on a common shaft 2-7 and operated on the outside by means of acrank or lever 28.

The trash and dirt which come through the screen pass down through a passage 29 at the rear of the hull board 20 and fall into a trough 30 at the bottom of the ma chine in which is located a screw conveyer 3.1. For removing such trash, dirt and the like from the machine. Located adjacent to the hull roller 23 on the side opposite to that facing saw cylinder 9, is a hull board 32 for co-operating with said hull roller 23.

In operation, the belly cotton is forced into the breaking; chamber by the feeders 1v in the usual way. The yielding fingers of the revolving breaker cylinder engage the bolls and "force them first against the screen 5, through which theloose trash and dirt pass to the conveyer 31 below. The bolls, in beingforced around the chamber of the breaker cylinder are struck hammer blows by the fingers 3 of the breaker cylinder, which opens the bolls, trees the cotton, and separates the boll hulls from each other where they are joined together. As rapidly as this done, the cotton and the loose hulls are carried out of the breaking chamber through the space oropening 6? by the pins or ribs on the picker roll 6. The outlet 6 extends the "full length of the breaker cylinder 2 and the picker roll 6. The cotton and product slides oil? into contact with the teeth oi the upper saw cylinder 8, which carry .the cotton to the dotler brush 17, the bulls .der fl. This surplus cotton, with the bulls is directed by the cant board onto the hull board 20 whence it slides into contact with the teeth of the lower saw cylinder 9, the cotton being carried around by said teeth to the dofler brush 17 in the same manner as described with reference to the upper saw cylinder, the hulls sticking to the cotton being kicked back by the kicker roll. 14; those hulls, with a very small. pi centage of cotton being discharged through the opening 22 between the lower end otthe hull board 20 and the saw cylinder 9, the mi); ture talling upon the rapidlyrevolving hull roller 23 which involves in the direction shown by the arrow. The smaller particles of hull are carried around through the space 22" between the hull roller and the lower sax'v cylinder 9 and are discharged into the trough 30 below. Larger hulls, and small.

loose bulls are discharged by the picker roll onto the hull board 10, whence this mixed lfll5 locks of cotton are kicked back by the teeth of saw cylinder 9 over against the hull board 32, the medium sized hulls falling through the space 32 between the bottom of the hull board 32 and the revolving surface of the hull roller 23, and. such hulls, with the smaller particles passing through the space 22 on the opposite side of the roller, falling into thetrough 30 below.

While the spaces 22 and 32 on the opposite sides of therevolving roller discharge a considerable portion of the hulls neither space is wide enough to permit the discharge of anycotton of value; and while the teeth of the saw cylinder 9 are constantly throwing locks of cotton of more or less value bacl; over the hull roller 23 and against the hull board 32, the spaces 22 and 32 are, as stated, too small to permit such cotton to discharge withthe hulls passing through the same. Such cotton therefore, as is thrown I out by the teeth of the saw cylinder is instantly returned to the .saw cylinder and when the teeth of the saw get a sufficient hold thereon it is carried up through the space 22 between the hull board 20 and the saw cylinder and over to the dotter brush 1?. In the meantime the hulls knocked by the saw teeth over against the hull board 32 that are too large to be discharged through either of the spaces 22 or 32, are, according to my inventioin discharged over the top of the hull board 32. This is accomplished by the provision of the rib or bumper 24- on the hull roller 23, which serves to knock the large hulls up against the bottom of the hull board 20, which sets at such an angle that these bulls are caused to glance off or outward away from the roll and to fall tl'u'ough the passage 29 at the rear of the hull board'32 into the troughBO. While the bumper 24". is very effective in knocking or boui'icing" the comparatively hard hulls up against'the underside o'f' the hull board 20,

the yielding or s 'iringy character of the locks of cotton is such that they are not thrown or knocked with the same force and will eventually be carried by the action of the hull roller 23 into engagement with the teeth of the saw cylinder 9 and be recovered. l l ith this knowledge oi the diilerence in character between the hull particles and locks of cotton it is a comparatively simple matter to so construct the bumper 24 and to so adjust the speed of rotation of the roller 23 as to cause said hull roller to rapidly throw out all hulls too large to pass through the openings 22 and 32 WliLl'lOUt at the same time throwiu out or discharging any cotton or" value. The combination therefore, of the hull roller with this bumper 24. and the properly placed hull board 32 enables me to provide tor the discharge from the machine of the hulls with the necessary rapidity without loss of cotton.

t will be seen from the above description. 01 the construction and operation oi? my invention, that the upper saw cylinder 8 is never overloaded to the tact that l proride for the tree discharge of the bulls and surplus cotton through the comparatively wide gap between the hull board 10 and. the teeth of the uguaer saw cylinder. it will also be seenthat the lower saw cylinder 6) will have acon 'atirely light load of cotton to contend ii .:th by reason of the tart, that in practice from one-halt to two-thirds of the bulk oi the cotton itself is separated or extracted from the mass by the upper saw cylinder 8. In other words, the very tree and rapid discharge provided for hulls passi"'2' the upper saw cylinder leaves c inpara- Lively 'l'ew hulls tor the upper kicer roll 12 to act upon, so that the bull; oi' the cotton can be separated on the upper saw cylinder it without the risl: ol many hulls going with it tiast said upper kicker roll; whereas the lov-xer saw cylinder. having comparatively little cotton to deal with. the hulls are not obstructed tron'i disclr ing rapidly and treely through the smaller space between the hull bcu-ird 20 and the teeth of the saw cylinder 9. and the very small percentage oi? cotton which falls with the hulls onto the rapidly revolving; roller 2?). readily re- 00\ ered in the manner above des nally it will he seen tl .t the s 1 brush it? reinor s the cotton simultimeously From the two saw cylinders, combines it and ha throiiglr the single dischopening it) to the gin below (not shown), while all oi the trash, dirt. and the hulls discharged through the several openings retel-red to. are collected by the onveyer 81 and discharged from the machine in the usual way.

lhe machine which I have illustrated in the drawing re tiresents the best embodiment of the invention now known to me. and by its use I have demonstrated that its capacity 'a almost double that of the single cylinder machine which result is accomplished, \Vlt h". out materially increa the size of the mawhine over the former type. by the arrangeinent showm and particularly by the provision of the single dofl er brush coo' tin 1;" with the two sawcylinders. At the same time I do not wish to. he lin'ziterl to the e details oi constrimtion showin as various changes therein could no doubt be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I clain'iz 1. In a boll breaking and cotton separating machine, the combination of boll brca w ingg means, an upper and a lower saw cylinder. the saws of which operate wholly in the clear as respects the cotton engaging side thereof, a hull board co-operating with each saw cylinder to direct mixed cotton and ing for "feeding the cotton and. brolien. bolls to the saw cylinders from the bell breaking means, and a rotary doller common to both saw cylinders and cooperating therewith to simultaneously remove the cotton therefromv In a boll'brealring and cotton separatmachine, the combination oi boll break-- ing means, casing inclosing an upper and. lower rotary saw cylind "he saws o'lf which operate wholly in the c r as respects the cotton engagingside lillfi'lQOii, a richer roll co-operating with each saw cylinder, hull boards ior directir mixed cotton and hulls 'ialling by gravity over the same against the saws, and defining, respectively, the sizes oi openings past said saw c linders, the openi ng past the upper saw cylinder being larger than the opening past the lower saw cylinder, means for feeding the cotton and broken bolls to the saw cylinders from the hell breaking means, and a rotary dolli'er conin'ion to both saw cylinders and cooperating therewith to simultaneo "y remove the c ton therefrom, the con iiiction presenting an uninterrupted path between the opening past the upper saw cylinncr to the hull board of the lower saw c} lindcr, so that the products escaping through said opening inay fall. by gravity on. the main hull board.

(ill

ing with each saw cylinder to direct nii In a boll breaking and cinton separah ing machine, the combinatnni oi boll lore;

ing means a pair of rotary saw cylinders, the saws Ofl which operate wholly in the clear as respects the cotton engaging side thereof, means for feeding the cotton and broken bolls to the saw cylinders from the boll breaking means, a hull board co-operatcotton and hulls falling by gravity over t same against the saws, and defining the si 155 of openings past the i -ylinders, the opening past the upper saw cylinder being larger than the opening past the lower saw cylinder, the construction presenting an uninter rupted path between the opening past the upper saw cylinder to the hull board oi the lower saw cylinder, sothat products escaping through said opening may fall by grayity on the said hull board, a hiclcer rollin: cooperating with each of said saw cylinders, one of said kicker rolls being located; between the two saw cylinders a cant boinrd covering the side of the latter kicker roll that is exposed to the cotton and broken bolls passing through the opening past the upper saw cylinder, and a rotary dol'l cr common to both of said saw cylinders and ca the wer ed es 01? said dcr, thesaws of each saw cylinder and dciining' operating therewith to simultaneously remove the cotton therefrom 4. In a boll breaking and cotton separat lng machine, the combination of bollbreaking means, an upper andalower saw cy1inwhich operate wholly in the clear'as respects the cottonengagingside thereolfla hull board cooperating with each saw cylinder to direct mixed cotton and in s falling by gravity over the same a 'ainst the saws, and defining the sizes of o i pcnings past thecylinders, the openlng past:

the upper saw cylinder being larger than the opening past the lower saw cylinder, a richer roll (ac-operating withicach cylinder means for feeding the'cotton and broken bolls to the saw cylinders no the hell breaking means, ai'eed roller located under the opening past the lower saw cylinder, and a rotary dolier common to both saw cylinders and co-operatingtherewith. to simultaneoijisly remove the cotton therefrom.

5. Yln a boll breaking and cotton separat- -lll 5?; machine, cotton separating mechanism comprising a rotary saw cylinder, a kicker roll co-o 'ierating therewithand an inclined hull board, thelower end. ofwhich defines the size of an opening past the saw cylinder, n l'Olfil'f/llllll roller located, belowsaid openingin juxtaposition to said saw cylinder and provided on one side with a bumper extendinn; substantially throughout its length, and a hull board co-operating with said hull roller, the two hull. boards providing between theni an outlet, "whereby the hulls missing through said opening will he knocked by said llllll'llmr' through said outlet and the cotton particles passing throughsaid opening will be delivered by' said roller to the saw cylinder. r v w i i l 6. In a boll'breaking and cotton separating machine, the combination of a casing in closing an "upper and a lower rotary saw cylinder, a hull board co-operating with sizes out openings past the same,the opening past the upper saw cylinder being larger than the opening past the lower saw cylinder, a rotary hull roller located below the openingpast the lower saw cylinder iiiijuxtapositioii to said saw cylinder and PIOVlIlQflOII one side with a bumper extending substantially throu 'hout its len 'th, and a hull board. 00-

operating with said hull rolleix-the latter hull board with the hull board of" said lower saw cylinder, providing an oiiitiet whereby the hulls passing through the lee mentioned opening will be lrnoclied by saiilfbnmper my hand. i

JOHN E. MITCHELL. 

